Carly McNaul and Michaela Walsh upgraded their guaranteed bronze medals to at least silver at the Chemistry World Cup in Cologne, Germany this afternoon.
McNaul saw off highly rated Indian flyweight Pinki Raini on points after a slug fest and Walsh followed that with a points win over Romanian feather Lenuta Lacramioara over three, three minute rounds.
McNaul, who has won three fights in three days so far, is back in action for gold versus Armenia tomorrow and two-time Commonwealth finalist Walsh meets India for the 57kg title.
The exact scores will be confirmed later (scores not being announced at end of bouts).
Both women are the first Irish female boxers to medal at the Chemistry Cup, which has since been rebranded as the World Cup and moved from Halle to Cologne for the 45th edition of the tournament.
Women boxed at the 2011 Chemistry Cup.
McNaul and Walsh now join a roster of legendary Irish boxers, almost all Olympians, to reach Chemistry Cup finals.
These include Wayne McCullough (1992), Michael Roche (2000), Ken Egan (2006), Joe Ward (2012), Joe Ward and David Oliver Joyce (2014) and Kiril Afanasev (2018).
So far, Ward (2 titles) and Joyce are the only Irish boxers to have won gold at this level.
Meantime, Joe Ward and Tony Browne are in semi-final action tonight.
Team Ireland are due to arrive home via Dublin Airport at 6pm on Sunday.
(Images courtesy of Margit Kincses)
Chemistry Cup (World Cup) Cologne, Germany
April 13
Finals
51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) v Anush Grigoryan (Armenia)
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) v Sa Sakshi (India)
April 12
S/Finals
51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) beat Pinki Rani (India) 3-2
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) beat Lenuta Lacramioara (Romania) 5-0
81kg Joe Ward (Ireland) v Abu-Lubdeh Abdulrahman (Germany)
91kg Anthony Browne (Ireland) v Brandon Ress (Australia)
April 11
Q/Finals
51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) beat Mungustsetseg Enkhjargal (Mongolia) 5-0
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) beat Delgerkhnga Khongorzul (Mongolia) 5-0
57kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) lost to Albert Batyrgaziev (Russia) 0-5
69kg Christina Desmond (Ireland) lost to Liu Yang (China) 0-5
69kg Grainne Walsh (Ireland) lost to Nadine Apetz (Germany) 2-3
75kg Emmet Brennan (Ireland) lost to Gleb Bakshi (Russia) 0-5
81kg Joe Ward (Ireland) beat Jilei Zhang (China) 5-0
91kg Anthony Browne (Ireland) beat Zhiabao Wang (China) RET2
April 10
Last 16
56kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) beat Eric Petrosyan (Armenia) 5-0
51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) beat Angelika Krysztoforska (Poland) 5-0
63kg Wayne Kelly (Ireland) lost to Jorge Moiran (Cuba) 2-3
63kg James McGivern (Ireland) lost to Enrico La Cruz (Netherlands) 0-5
69kg Kieran Molloy (Ireland) lost to Otgonbaatar Bymba (Mongolia) 0-4
91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Ireland) lost to Sergei Egorov (Russia) 2-3
52kg Brendan Irvine (Ireland) lost to Galai Yafai (England) 0-5
75kg Emmet Brennan (Ireland) beat Rafael Perczynski (Poland) 5-0
81kg Joe Ward (Ireland) beat Piotr Sczukowski (Poland) 5-0
Irish squad
51kg Carly McNaul (Holy Family) (Silver, at least)
57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown) (Silver, at least)
69kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s)
69kg Grainne Walsh (Spartacus)
52kg Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s)
57kg Kurt Walker (Canal)
63kg James McGivern (St Georges)
63kg Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard)
75kg Emmet Brennan (Glasnevin)
81kg Joe Ward (Spartacus) (Bronze, at least)
91kg Tony Browne (St Michael’s) (Bronze, at least)
91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Clonmel)
Team Manager: Bernard Dunne
Coaches: Zuar Antia, John Conlan, Damian Kennedy
Physiotherapist: Muireann Harte
Physiologist: Damain Martin